Stories from Monday, February 18, 2013

Mary Ann Votapka July 8, 1928, - Feb. 16, 2013 JENNINGS, Kansas -- Mary Ann Votapka, 84, died Saturday (Feb. 16, 2013), at the Cedar Living Center in Oberlin, Kansas. She was born July 8, 1928, in Norton, Kansas, to Otto and Gladys (Huff) Johnson...

Courtesy photo The Community Building in Cambridge was a busy place Feb. 11 as eight young people prepared for Valentines' Day. The youth decorating cupcakes and made Valentine picture frames. They also learned the technique of dot painting as they created Valentine coasters using ceramic tiles. ...

This information is gathered at the McCook Public Safety Center, the McCook office of the Nebraska State Patrol, the Red Willow County Courthouse, the Red Willow County Sheriff's Office and the McCook Humane Society. Police activity Activity log...

Lorri Sughroue/McCook Daily Gazette Robin Marks of McCook likes to make the most of her time and gets in a little violin practice while working at the McCook Art Guild Saturday. Robin, a member of the guild, also teaches dance, plays the harp, paints china and plays the piano "when I get the chance."...

Aunts Grace and Sydney walk through a field with nephew Caden in weather warm enough for summer shorts. The McCook Daily Gazette would love to showcase your weather photos. Readers can contribute to our daily weather page, subject to space and color availability, by emailing photos to editor2@ocsmccook.com or bringing them into the Gazette offices at West First and E Streets. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- McCook Police officers arrested an adult male who was observed going through vehicles in the McCook Community College dormitory parking lot and are requesting assistance in finding the owners of stolen items recovered during the incident...

"Will the owner of the old Nash in the parking lot please come to the service counter?" This Nash attracted lots of attention sitting in the Walmart parking lot in McCook, Nebraska, Sunday afternoon. "Wow! What a ride!" someone said. Anyone with information, please contact Connie Jo Discoe at the Gazette, (308) 345-4500, extension 113...

Tip your newspaper carrier a little extra this week if you're in that habit, or at least show a little sympathy. That's because he or she will be carrying a lot of extra newspaper to your doorstep with this year's Progress Edition, themed "Embracing Change."...

Note: These days, when one travels on East 5th and 6th Streets, and views the former East Ward School grounds, halted now in the midst of its transformation to apartments and duplexes, he cannot help but think of that structure, when it was the proud center of learning for so many years. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The National Weather Service in Goodland and Red Willow County Emergency Management invite you to attend a Storm Spotter Class in McCook. This year's training will be Wednesday, March 13th at 6:30 pm CDT at the Heritage Senior Center, 1400 W 5th Street...

CULBERTSON, Nebraska -- With $52,050 in their checking account, the "Friends of the Library" in Culbertson, Nebraska, has permission from the village board to seek proposals to build a new public library. "We are looking forward to starting the process," librarian Cindee Wagner said Tuesday, after a fund-raiser Sunday helped bring the total of donations and pledges for a new library to $52,050. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Miles of endless water, trapped on a stricken ocean liner, much as the passengers of the Carnival Triumph were over the past several days, can be a "desert" experience, according to the Rev. Gary Brethour, pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church...

GREELEY, Colorado -- The Colorado owners of 450 Holstein steers are offering a $10,000 reward for information regarding the disappearance of or the recovering of steers missing from a grow yard in Hayes and Hitchcock counties in Nebraska. Bob Elliott, who is the assistant branch manager of Producers Livestock Marketing Association at Greeley, Colorado, said this morning said the steers were placed in a Nebraska grow yard through PLMA's "feeding and grazing program" in which owners of grass, feedlots and grow yards put their feed into cattle owned by PLMA and then receive proceeds from their sale.. ...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Two McCook High School seniors got to finish their prep wrestling careers with a trip to the Class B state meet. Neither Mitch Collicott or Trevor Gleason could advance to the medal rounds in the three-day state mat carnival Feb. 14-16 at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha...

OMAHA, Neb. -- The Gazette area was very well-represented at the 2013 Nebraska State High School Wrestling Championships. A total of 26 area competitors earned berths in the annual prep state mat championships held Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 14-16, at the CenturyLink Center in downtown Omaha. Five area matmen advanced to the championship finals in their respective divisions, and two other area representatives claimed individual medals...

OMAHA, Neb. -- Here are results from individual matches of the Gazette area representatives at the 2013 Nebraska State High School Wrestling Championships Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 14-16, at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha: CLASS C STATE HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS...

Kent Doetker WAUNETA, Nebraska -- Kent Doetker, 70, a longtime resident of Wauneta, died Friday (Feb.15, 2013), at the Sunrise Heights of Wauneta. Survivors include: sons, Jed Doetker and wife, DeAnn Kelly Doetker and wife, Dawn and brother, Loren Doetker and wife, Karen , all of Wauneta and five grandchildren...

Senator Mark Christensen Letter Back Home Last week ended on the 26th day of the Legislature and my bill, LB 52, was heard on General File. Legislative Bill 52 would allow the director of the Department of Correctional Services to enter into arrangements with any charitable, fraternal, or nonprofit corporation for labor services that have a public benefit by persons committed to the incarceration work camp. ...